Label: Vendetta Records
Origin: Liverpool, England
Ninkharsag crusades majestically past shallow graves of frozen warriors and basks in the incendiary power of the mid-90’s Swedish black metal scene which the deceased fought to defend. Forlorn growls and mesmerizing percussion earn The Dread March of Solemn Gods a well-elbowed spot on the melodic black metal shelf; relentless riffs and monumental leads ensure that the listener thinks twice before discounting it to pull The Somberlain.
The record opens with an wildly diverse instrumental track, “Night Wrath,” that floats soft acoustics and ominous chorals across horses’ whinnies ala Bathory’s 1988 epic “A Fine Day to Die.” Neoclassical riffs soon jockey for position, galloping forth with both full-blooded heaviness and purebred beauty. The title track follows as a ripping homage to early Dissection, with minor chords surging ahead of each other in tidal bouts for dominance. Raspy growls are the spitting sonic image of the deceased Jon Nödtveidt himself, but they are unbroken and run pell-mell within the well-worn instrumental track. “Under the Dead of Night” is an icy jaunt through a distorted stampede of riffs. Lead singer Kyle Nesbitt injects drops of vocal Satanic serum into the veins of the frothing beast, which blow out arteries as the instrumental cocktail picks up speed.
The Tower of Perpetual Twilight (28:13 - 32:08) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cijd4ty0ocM
Standout track, “The Tower of Perpetual Twilight” earns its knighthood within the first 60 seconds: an introductory ethereal solo dives into epic power chords recalling the middle ages of “The Somberlain,” and ancient cursed growls follow suit into the glory. Closing digipack bonus track “The Lord of Death and Midnight” was released digitally as an earlier single, and paces impatiently between overdriven down-tuned chugging riffs. Lyrically, this track paints the cover art for the entire record (“Behold the scorched carrion which illuminates graves . . .”) while also invoking a damning message for humanity: “. . . horrors contained in this abyss of black souls is naught compared to the sins of mankind.”
Unlike that of many recent releases from contemporary black metal acts, the tempo is relatively consistent throughout the entirety of The Dread March of Solemn Gods. While certainly not slow, Ninkharsag keep it a few gears below breakneck throughout, avoiding the stereotypical path of breakdowns and doomed passages in favor of ingenious riff building and passionate storytelling. Paul Armitstead, the lead guitarist, is a alchemic player: he blends the prowess of Randy Rhoads, playful prancing of Eddie Van Halen, and speed and tone of Ihsahn to brew a triple-hopped elixir of evil. Middle tracks “Lunar Hex; The Art of Mighty Lycanthropy” and “The Necromanteion” slay this guitar-forward approach.
The Dread March of Solemn Gods tramples the modern metal battlefield with the thundering hooves of old-school melodic blackened horsepower. Ninkharsag harnesses the evil energy of a scene long forgotten by wielding endless ingenious guitar leads, ripcord percussive passages, and the heralding vocals of a tormented horseman of the apocalypse.
FFO: Dissection (early), Sacramentum, Unanimated, Emperor, Watain